1. Field of the Invention
The subject of the present invention is a canopy which can be inflated, deployed and retracted by means of inflation and deflation, respectively.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally speaking, inflatable canopies comprise a plurality of longitudinal beams placed side by side, means for supplying the inflatable beams with pressurized fluid, at least one path for the deployment or refolding of the said beams, and means for the foundation or ballasting of the said canopy.
This type of canopy is designed, amongst other things, to allow its deployment by simple inflation and its retraction by deflation, which makes it possible, at will, to cover over a space in order to protect it against bad weather and to uncover it in fine weather.
Such a canopy may be used to temporarily cover over large installations such as stadia or spectators' stands.
Canopies of this type are already known, in which each beam is formed by a flexible envelope which incorporates means which ensure the continuity of the leaktightness of the volume it confines and which principally comprises four longitudinal panels whose edges intersect along four longitudinal edges perpendicular to which these panels are not only connected together but also connected to the equivalent panels of the adjacent beams by means of discontinuous mechanical linking means.
However, such a structure poses problems of leaktightness and is complicated owing to the design of each of the inflatable beams.